This invention generally relates to golf balls and more particularly, the invention is directed to golf balls having high resiliency, a low spin, and a high rotational momentum imparted by a large soft interior inner core and at least one weight shifted outer layer.
Conventional golf balls have primarily two functional components: the inner core and the cover. The primary purpose of the inner core is to be the xe2x80x9cspringxe2x80x9d of the ball or the principal source of resiliency, and the inner core may be either solid or wound. The primary purpose of the cover is to protect the inner core. Multi-layer solid balls include multi-layer inner core constructions, multi-layer cover constructions, or combinations thereof. In a golf ball with a multi-layer inner core, the principal source of resiliency is the multi-layer inner core. In a golf ball with a multi-layer cover, the principal source of resiliency is the single-layer inner core.
Two-layer solid balls are made with a single-solid inner core, typically a cross-linked polybutadiene or other rubber, encased by a hard cover material. Increasing the cross-link density of the inner core material can increase the resiliency of the inner core. As the resiliency increases, however, the compression may also increase making the ball stiffer, thereby increasing driver spin rates. In an effort to make golf balls with improved performance characteristics, manufacturers have used thermoplastics in various layers in multi-layer golf balls. Some thermoplastic materials have a low flexural modulus, such that layers formed therefrom produce golf balls with driver spin rates at higher than desirable levels. Such high spin rates, although allowing a more skilled player to maximize control of the golf ball, can also cause golf balls to have severely parabolic trajectories and do not achieve sufficient distance. Thus, manufacturers often try to strike a balance between spin rate and distance. By adding fillers in thermoplastic layers, the flexural modulus or stiffness of such layers increases, so that the golf balls produced have lower spin rates and can achieve greater distances. However, a need still exists for a golf ball with a filled thermoplastic layer that strike a balance between high flexural modulus (for lower driver spin) and the amount of fillers required to achieve such modulus.
The spin rate of golf balls is the end result of many variables, one of which is the distribution of the density or specific gravity within the ball. Spin rate is an important characteristic of golf balls for both skilled and recreational golfers. High spin rate allows the more skilled players, such as PGA professionals and low handicapped players, to maximize control of the golf ball. A high spin rate golf ball is advantageous for an approach shot to the green. The ability to produce and control back spin to stop the ball on the green and side spin to draw or fade the ball substantially improves a player""s control over the ball. Hence, the more skilled players generally prefer a golf ball that exhibits high spin rate, in part, off scoring irons, such as the 7-iron club through the pitching wedge.
On the other hand, the recreational players who cannot intentionally control the spin of the ball generally do not prefer a high spin rate golf ball. For these players, slicing and hooking the ball are the more immediate obstacles. When a club head strikes a ball improperly, an unintentional side spin is often imparted to the ball, which sends the ball off its intended course. The side spin reduces a player""s control over the ball, as well as the direct-line distance the ball will travel. A golf ball that spins less tends not to drift off-line erratically if the bail is not hit squarely with the club face. A low spin ball will not cure the hook or slice, but will reduce the adverse effects of the side spin. Hence, recreational players typically prefer a golf ball that exhibits low spin rate.
Varying materials or reallocating the density or specific gravity of the various layers of a golf ball provides an important means of controlling the spin rate. In some instances, the weight from the outer portions of the ball is redistributed toward the center to decrease the moment of inertia, thereby increasing the spin rate. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,964 discloses a golf ball with a reduced moment of inertia having an inner core with specific gravity of at least 1.50 and a diameter of less than 32 mm and an intermediate layer of lower specific gravity between the inner core and the cover. U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,126 discloses a ball with a dense inner core having a specific gravity of at least 1.25 encapsulated by a lower density syntactic foam composition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,838 discloses another golf ball with a dense inner core having a diameter in the range of 15-25 mm with a specific gravity of 1.2 to 4.0 and an outer layer with a specific gravity of 0.1 to 3.0 less than the specific gravity of the inner core. U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,285 discloses another golf ball with reduced moment of inertia by reducing the specific gravity of an outer inner core to 0.2 to 1.0.
In other instances, the weight from the inner portion of the ball is redistributed outward to increase the moment of inertia, thereby decreasing the spin rate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,393 discloses a golf ball with a hollow inner layer with one or more resilient outer layers, thereby giving the ball a soft inner core, and a hard cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,887 discloses an increased moment of inertia golf ball comprising one or more layer layers made from metals, ceramic or composite materials, and a polymeric spherical substrate disposed inwardly from the layer layers.
The redistribution of weight within the golf ball is typically accomplished by adding fillers to the inner core or to an outer layer of the golf ball. Conventional fillers include the high specific gravity fillers, such as metal or metal alloy powders, metal oxide, metal searates, particulates, carbonaceous materials, or low specific gravity fillers, such as hollow spheres, microspheres or foamed particles. However, the addition of fillers may adversely interfere with the inherent resiliency of the polymers used in golf balls and thereby the coefficient of restitution of the golf balls. Hence, there remains a need in the art for a golf ball that has a large inner core substantially free from fillers with high resiliency and a controlled moment of inertia.
The invention is directed to golf balls having a resilient large inner core and wherein the inner core and outer core comprise a material substantially free of fillers.
These and other objects of the present invention are realized by golf balls comprising an inner core, an outer core, an inner cover, and an outer cover wherein the inner core is encased by an outer core wherein the inner core has a volume greater than the outer core, inner cover, or outer cover and the inner core is made of a material substantially free of fillers.
In another embodiment of the invention, the volume relationship of the inner core (V12), outer core (V14), inner cover (V16), and outer cover (V18) is represented by the mathematical relationship: V12 greater than 2.5(V14+V16+V18), wherein V14xe2x89xa7V18xe2x89xa7V16. In yet another embodiment, the inner core has a specific gravity xcfx8112, the outer core has a specific gravity xcfx8114, the inner cover has a specific gravity xcfx8116, and the outer cover has a specific gravity xcfx8118, wherein the relationship between the specific gravities is expressed by the mathematical expression: xcfx8116xe2x89xa7xcfx8118xe2x89xa7xcfx8114xe2x89xa7xcfx8112.
In another embodiment of the invention, the diameter of the inner core is preferably greater than about 1.50 inches. The inner core or outer core is preferably made of polybutadiene, a crosslinker, a co-crosslinker, and preferably, a halogenated organo-sulfur compound. More preferably, the halogenated organo-sulfur compound is pentachlorothiolphenol (PCTP), ZNPCTP, or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment of the invention, the outer core preferably has a thickness in the range of about 0.025 inch to about 0.070 inch. The inner cover preferably has a thickness of about 0.020 inch or less, or more preferably about 0.015 inch or less. The inner cover preferably has a specific gravity greater than about 2 and is made of a thermoplastic material. In another embodiment, the inner cover is made of a non-ionomeric polymer.
In yet another embodiment, the golf ball according to the invention has an outer cover with a thickness of about 0.035 inch or less.